Disability advocate fears increase not enough
Last Updated: Wednesday, April 11, 2007 | 11:13 AM AT
CBC News
Related
Internal Links
The director of P.E.I. Disability Alert hopes increases in disability funding included in Tuesday's budget will be enough to provide Islanders the assistance they need and deserve.
Stephen Pate has spent the last several months lobbying for extra money for the Disability Support Program, which provides things like wheelchairs and hearing aids for people who need them, and government increased the program's budget by 11 per cent to just over $9 million.
But Pate worries the funding will still fall short of the demand.
"Two years ago, the demand was for $8.7 million, just a natural demand within the program," said Pate.
"That's last year's demand. Like I say, my friend who needs a scooter, will he finally get it? Because they wouldn't give it to him last year, even though he had all the documentation from the doctors that he deserved it. So will he get it? I hope so."
Pate said he expects people with disabilities will continue to have their requests denied and their funding cut even with the boost to the budget.
Share Tools
Latest Prince Edward Island News Headlines
- Liquor store discussion heats up legislature
- The Opposition raised questions in the provincial legislature Friday over the decision to close the Wood Islands liquor store. more »
- EI rules will hurt primary trades, says P.E.I. premier
- While reaction continues to brew over Thursday's announcement about changes to the Employment Insurance program, P.E.I. Premier Robert Ghiz says provincial officials will be meeting with the federal government to discuss how the new rules will affect Islanders. more »
- HST to hit low-income earners hardest
- Although the proposed harmonized sales tax is good for business, it will hit low-income Islanders the hardest when it's rung in next April, said economists. more »
- Charlottetown businessman named to Order of Canada
- Charlottetown's Fred Hyndman was inducted as a member of the Order of Canada Friday. more »
Top News Headlines
- Everest victim's husband says family not seeking government help
- The husband of a Toronto woman who died trying to climb Mt. Everest on Saturday says his family is not seeking government help to cover the cost of bringing his wife's body home. more »
- Employment Insurance review boards to be scrapped
- The federal government is scrapping two review boards used by people appealing decisions made about their employment insurance. more »
- Teens share bullying tales in confession booth
- Raw stories about bullying emerged when a video booth was set up inside a Quebec high school. more »
- Serial carjacker gets life term for fatal crash
- An Ontario judge was moved to tears while delivering a life prison sentence to a serial carjacker who killed a woman and injured five others after driving a stolen van into her car during a 2010 police chase. more »
- EI rules will hurt primary trades, says P.E.I. premier
- P.E.I. quality of life second-worst, says study
- HST to hit low-income earners hardest
- 902 numbers running out in N.S., P.E.I.
- Islanders worried over EI changes
- Charlottetown businessman named to Order of Canada
- Atlantic Lottery replacing old VLTs
- Tourism P.E.I. handed out $60,000 in free golf passes
- Red Shores Raceway's fastest horse put down

